Trying Times
by KSUnsungHero
Summary: Sometimes all you can do is try.
1. Default Chapter

Trying Times (1/2)  
  
Note: Thanks so much to faith-in-Faith for all your help with this story!   
7:16 a.m.   
"Mom! Mom! Where's my jacket?" She looked all over for it and it wasn't anywhere she remembered putting it. It was spring but still cool enough to need one.   
  
"Did you look in the closet, Em? I know it's a new concept, but you guys seem to forget where things go. Coats go in the closet, laundry goes into the basket. Do I need to continue?" Seeing her daughter roll her eyes, she started looking, herself. If her kids were late for school, their principals would have her tail. Seeing no sign of the jacket, she left the room to check the hall closet. Emily probably just didn't remember putting it where it usually went. She walked out of the room, shaking her head. She had completely forgotten to make sure Charlie was ready for school, amid all the hustle and bustle of her teenage daughter. She didn't know how her husband did it every morning, dealing with one teenager and one kid on the verge of being one.   
  
Since Fred was out of town visiting relatives, it was up to her to do the things he normally did. She usually just saw them out the door and if she was lucky got a hug in before they left for school. Today seemed like a special day, and she wanted to make the most of it. She was going to make them a nice dinner so when they got home they could heat it up. She knew it was a little extra, but she also rented some movies for them so they would have something to do. The mother in her, of course, left a long list of emergency numbers and instructions on what to do if they had to reach her at work or had a problem. No questions asked, she would come running if anything came up. She hated to leave her kids alone, but Emily insisted they would be okay. She fought with her instincts to stay home or get someone to come over until she got off work, but knew she needed to trust her daughter. If she wanted her to know she was trusted, she had to be given a chance. It wasn't easy, but she was trying.   
  
"Char, sweetie. Get your stuff together, we're leaving as soon as your sister finds her jacket." Getting no response, she chalked it up to her growing son not wanting to talk to his uncool mom. She walked past the kitchen toward the hall closet, when something caught the corner of her eye. She looked to her right and saw Charlie with his arm halfway in a purse. Her purse.  
"Charlie! What are you think you're doin'? You know if you need somethin' out you just have to ask me. You need some gum or somethin'?" She couldn't figure out why her son would be getting into her things. She didn't have anything in there he'd possibly want. She saw him quickly try to cover his actions, while stuffing something into his back pocket.  
  
"Uh..I was looking for some chapstick. I remembered I had some in my jeans. Uh..the ones I wore yesterday. I'll just go grab it. Hey, uh..did Emily find her windbreaker?" He didn't wait for a response, choosing to leave the room.   
  
She didn't know what was up with her son. It wasn't like him to steal from her. She couldn't think of any reasons why he would do such a thing. If he needed anything, all he had to do was ask and she'd find a way to help him out. She wasn't rich by any means, but a few bucks couldn't hurt. So, when she saw him pocket the money she had in her purse, she was instantly worried. She wondered if he was having problems at school, but didn't know how to ask him about it. She thought about bringing it up, but felt she should talk to Fred first and get his take on the situation. She startled herself out of her thoughts and went to her original destination. Seeing Emily's coat hanging in the closet, she grabbed it quickly and gathered her kids to drop them off.   
  
7:39 a.m.  
Traffic was a nightmare. Now she remembered why she hated mornings. It wasn't that she couldn't sleep in, but the fact that she had to deal with traffic. At night, it was so much different. Sure, it was still busy but it wasn't like everyone had to be on the streets at the same time. How Fred did it and didn't go insane was beyond her. She thought about him and hoped he was having a good time. He needed some time away sometimes. Things weren't always good between them, but they tried for the kids' sake. Her marriage wasn't perfect, but no one's was.   
She rolled down the window. It was cool out, but it was the only thing keeping her awake. She had gotten off late the night before and got what felt like was five hours of sleep. Somewhere around six o' clock, her daughter woke her up looking for the blow drier so her hair wouldn't "snap off in the cold." She didn't know that hair could do that, but nonetheless, it was chilly outside and didn't want her daughter to get sick. Then again, she was up long before she had to leave for school and it would have dried by then. Oh well. She had been anticipating getting up for hours and so it wasn't any real surprise when the alarm went off a half hour later. She made a mental note to try to urge Bosco to get his butt in gear with his paperwork so they could leave at eleven this time. She was tired of getting out of the precinct at midnight, sometimes later. It was like the guy had no sense of responsibility. Like he lived for the moment. Her, she needed her sleep, and sleep was what beckoned her. She'd have to wait, though. She was already awake and still had yet to decide what she was going to make the kids. She still had several hours to think of something.   
  
2:30 p.m.   
She wrapped up the lasagna and put it in the fridge so it was ready for Emily to put it in the oven. It was the first time in a long time she had a chance to make something for the kids. Fred usually did all the cooking. It made her feel needed in a weird sort of way. She wasn't used to being able to do these things. With her hours, she was lucky to make it to any of the kids' recitals and school functions. She grabbed her purse and walked out the door. If only she could find a way to talk to Charlie. She shrugged it off and went to work.   
  
3:06 p.m.   
Bosco was running late, as usual. She sighed, thinking he was like one of her kids. Sometimes she didn't know how she put up with him. Ten years it'd been. Some people say time flies, well to her it was dragging on. She wasn't getting any younger. Bosco sure wasn't getting any older. Each day it seemed he pushed her buttons more than the previous, but she couldn't bear to part from him. She knew he had her back no matter what, and he was a good friend too, even if he was a little childish. Okay, maybe little was an understatement. She walked out of roll call and went to check out a radio. She smiled, seeing it was her favorite radio. The precinct had gotten new ones and there was this one loner that she hoped to get. It was like an old friend. When she went to use it, she never had to look down or remember where the button was. It was just there. She'd used the old ones for so long she hated the new ones. She didn't notice Bosco staring at her like she'd lost her mind.   
  
3:12 p.m.   
"So, where should we hit first? Wanna' start out on 96th street?" He hated going the same way every day. It was nice to have a change once in a while. Secretly, his favorite coffee shop was on the way and he knew this girl that gave him extra whipped cream on his hot chocolate. For the first time that day, he noticed something different about Faith. He couldn't put his finger on it. She seemed off. Distant.   
"Hey Yokas, you okay? You look like you got somethin' on that mind of yours." He hoped it wasn't anything serious. He was never good at handling female problems or mushy stuff like that.   
  
"Yeah, just thinkin'." Seeing him laugh, she almost knew the words that would come next.   
"Uh, oh. Someone call the Times, my partner is thinkin'." He couldn't help but laugh at the smirk he saw. Typical Faith. He knew her like the back of his hand.   
  
"Funny, Bos. Seriously, though, I don't know what's wrong and I don't know how to shake it." She was surprised to see the intense look in her partner's eyes. He usually didn't pay attention to her and figured it would be a lost cause. Today was different. He was actually hearing her. Not just starin' at the road wanting to curse at some jerk-off driver.   
  
"What's up? You havin' problems with your kids? Is it Fred?" When something was wrong with Faith, it was usually Fred, but he thought he'd keep his mouth shut before jumping to conclusions. Seeing her nod, he figured he'd give her a chance to explain which one was the problem. He couldn't tell yet, he just knew it was one or the other. Most likely the latter.   
  
"Oh, I don't know. It's probably nothing, but I caught Charlie goin' through my purse this morning. I was helping Em look for her jacket and went to look in the closet. Anyway, I walked by the kitchen and saw him pocket some money. I asked him what he was doin' and he just said he was lookin' for some chapstick. I just don't understand why he would lie to me like that. I mean, to my face, ya' know?" She'd been thinking about it all day and had nothing to offer as an explanation. Charlie had always been a good kid. Now she felt like she didn't know him anymore.   
  
"Maybe the kid just needed some lunch money, Faith. The kid needs to eat. Don't get all worked up over nothin'." He saw her expression change from worry to anger and knew he'd hit a sore spot. He just didn't know which one. Lately it seemed like there were so many.   
  
"What you think I don't feed my kids? Like I let them go hungry? Let me tell you somethin' Bosco, my kids get a roof over their heads. They sure as hell get food. I get twenty bucks out of my piss-poor account so I can buy a couple of meals a day if I'm lucky, and a train ride home from work. Every two weeks I get money out, and I'm afraid to look down at the receipt. I don't even wanna' read it. You know why? Because I don't know if I'm I'm gonna' look down and see I don't have enough to pay the bills. And when I do look and I do see the balance, I'm afraid there's been some kind of error or maybe the last check I wrote didn't clear the bank yet. And then, then, I have to go home and I can't bear to open the door. I don't wanna' walk inside my home, and face the harsh possibility that maybe the electricity's been shut off and I gotta' explain to my kids that their cop mom couldn't pay the bill. You know what that's like, Bosco? To have to look your kids in the eyes and see the look on their faces...the look like they were sorry they were stuck with you. God, I never wanna' see that look." She didn't realize the tears had been falling for some time. She stared out her window, afraid to face her partner. Afraid to see the horror in his eyes at her mothering skills. She felt the car stop.   
  
"Faith, look at me. Look at me." He waited for her to turn towards him so he could talk to her.   
"Look at you. You're the best mom I know. I seen so many deadbeat parents who are so damn selfish they don't think for a second about the kids they're leavin' at home to go shoot up or get drunk. Don't you ever think for a second you're not a good parent. You're doin' the best you can and the best you can do is a hell of a lot better than a lot of people even think of doin'. So, don't beat yourself up. The fact that you feel so shitty is a sign that you care enough about your kids to want them to have a good life. A cop's salary isn't like the best out there, you know, but it's what we do. It's our jobs. We were meant to do this. Don't ever doubt yourself, Faith. Don't do it." He hoped he got through to her. If she could only see in herself what he saw. She was a damn good mother, and those kids were damn lucky to have her for theirs. Even if she didn't know it.   
  
"Look at you, mister. You been watchin' Dr. Phil or somethin'?" She couldn't help but laugh. If she didn't, she'd just start crying again. He really was a good partner, and friend. No matter what Fred or anyone else thought. She really had to get herself out of her funk. Wallowing in her own misery wasn't helping things. It was damn cold and Bosco didn't need to hear all of her problems. She shook her head as Bosco put the car back into gear. She tried unsuccessfully to stifle a yawn, feeling more beat than ever. She really had to get more sleep, or she'd be a wreck tomorrow.   
  
6:15 p.m.  
"Central to 55-David"  
"55-David go ahead"  
"55-David proceed to 56th and Washington for a 10-30."  
"Copy that Central 56th and Washington"  
  
She hated to start off the day with something this big. They'd only been on duty for a few hours. It just seemed too early for a call like this. Guess the people involved didn't care about being seen or caught.   
"Alright, well, looks like dinner's gonna' come a little late tonight. I'm hungry too." She was so busy earlier making her kids dinner she didn't remember to eat. She was regretting it now, because robberies usually took hours to clear up.   
  
"Me too. I usually grab somethin' before I leave. Never know when you're gonna' get a call and be all tied up. Man, I wonder if anyone's on scene yet." He didn't like going in with no information, but robberies weren't something that was usually announced on the radio or anything. In order to keep the public safe, information was usually kept to whoever needed to know, and right now the only ones who needed to know were the officers receiving the call. Hopefully there would be others on scene already.   
  
They pulled up down the street from the store and made their way on foot to the side of the building. They didn't want the suspects inside to see them and get spooked.   
"55-David to Central"  
"Go ahead 55-David"  
"Central, we are 10-84 on that 10-30."  
"Copy that 55-David. Additional units are on the way."  
  
"Okay, we need to get these civilians out of here. Alright, go back to the squad and get the tape. I'm going to pull the squad around so we can block access to the building."   
"Bos, we don't know how many there are. Let's just sit tight until another squad comes." She didn't want to rush into anything, not knowing if the suspects had seen them yet and would try something dangerous. She could tell he wasn't going for that.   
"Faith, we can't sit here and watch this thing unfold. Are you gonna' get the tape or not?"   
Seeing her nod, they both went to the RMP.   
He popped the trunk for Faith to get out the tape and moved the car so that it was in the middle of the street, blocking both ways. He got out and grabbed some cones out of the trunk to help set up a road block. As he was walking over with the cones, he saw a motorcyclist speeding in their direction, unoblivious to anything the officers were doing. The driver of the motorcycle noticed the cops in time to swerve. Bosco saw Faith's eyes grow big as she realized what was going to happen. He was powerless to help her. All he could do was watch, as she tried to get out of the way. 


	2. Trying Times 22

Trying Times (2/2)  
  
Note: Thanks so much to faith-in-Faith for all your help!   
6:32 p.m.  
"Faith!" He raced over to where his partner was getting up. Luckily she appeared to be okay, but was holding her right hand. Seeing she was more or less okay, he went to check on the driver. Instead of pushing down on the breaks and flying over the handlebars, the driver had put all his weight to the left side of the motorcycle and came to a skidding halt. Bosco helped him up, cursing the idiot for not being more cautious.   
"You okay?" He didn't wait for a response. He saw the other man nod, shaking from fear. He could have died. He felt bad for the man, but he had more important things to do than fuss over him. "Hey, I have to go. I have a situation. Keep your bike there. They'll need it for the report. I want you to go down the street to the other side of our car. Wait there."   
  
The man did as he was told, not wanting to know what the "situation" was all about. He thought it best if he just did what the cop wanted. He couldn't believe he hit a cop. He'd be in so much trouble, not to mention he wasn't going to make it to work. If he'd only paid more attention. Instead, he was caught up in his thoughts and hit a police officer. A police officer that was trying to protect others from whatever was going down in that building.   
  
Seeing the man walk around the squad, Bosco turned his attention back onto the cones that were lying on the ground. He picked them up and put them into position, blocking the right turn lane and the left turn lane in the other two directions. He walked back over to Faith, who was trying to wrap the tape around a lamppost with her injured hand. She was trying, he'd give that to her.   
"Here let me. You should have that looked at." He finished tying the tape off and attached it to the bumper of the squad so no one would be able to get near the building from the sidewalk.   
"Bos, who's gonna' look at it? Mr. Motocross? It's fine. We're lucky that guy didn't hit anyone or anything else." She wished backup would arrive sooner. She didn't trust herself using her gun with her hand being the way it was. When she jumped out of the way of the motorcycle, it caught her right leg and spun her around. She had landed with all her weight on her hand. She could still hear the popping sound the bones made as they shifted.   
"Right. Good point. Well, let's go." The two officers walked back to their positions and saw three more police cars arrive on scene. Bosco peeked his head around the corner of the building and saw one of the robbers looking out the window. He'd made them. He knew the cops were there.   
  
6:38 p.m.  
The officers positioned their cars, replacing the cones to block traffic. Only one street was accessible strictly to EMS, police, and fire. The remaining police car was parked on the side of the building by 55-David. The officers would use it in case they had to duck for cover.   
"Hey Sull, Davis. Glad you decided to join the party. We got one suspect, possibly more. We only got a look at one. He's onto us, though." As she spoke, they heard the door open from around the corner. The officers looked around and saw the driver with his hands up, surrendering. It was too good to be true. They never had it that easy. Maybe this guy was smart and knew he had to give himself up.   
"Faith, let's go. Sully and Davis, you guys come near the door but don't go right up to it, in case this is turns sour." Davis and Sully nodded and the officers approached the storefront.   
  
"Alright, sir, is there anyone else in there with you?" She hoped his answer would be no. She looked inside, gun drawn, in case she needed to use it. The man shook his head.   
"There are no civilians or there are no more friends of yours?"   
"Geez I'm sorry. I just wanted a CD player. I didn't mean for this to happen. No, there's no one else in here. It's just me. I saw the store owners head out the back. They didn't know I was still in here. I hid in the bathroom. I just wanted a stereo. I wasn't going to hurt anyone." The man was visibly shaken and upset. He didn't seem like the kind to do something like this, but they'd seen a lot in their time being cops.   
"Okay, sir, I want you to slowly step out of the door with your hands raised. My partner is going to cuff you, okay?" The man nodded, still trembling. She kept her gun drawn as Bosco lead the man over to the wall to pat him down and cuff him.   
  
Sully and Davis saw Bosco search for weapons, and finding none, moved in to take over. Davis led the man over to the squad while Sully, Bosco, and Yokas went in to check for other people inside the building. Finding none, they exited, breathing sighs of relief.   
"Well, that went well." She still couldn't believe it went down that easily. Well, not really that easily. She had a broken hand and started to feel a burn in her leg. She looked down and noticed for the first time that her pants were ripped. The tire of the motorcycle must have torn her clothing. Her leg felt like it was rubbed by really coarse sandpaper. She massaged her injured hand and flexed her fingers, feeling a sharp pain as she did so. Yep, it was definitely broken.   
  
"Yeah, thank God." Sully walked over to the RMP with 55-David. He noticed Faith had a pained expression on her face and wondered if her injury had anything to do with the motorcycle that was lying in the road.   
"You hurt yourself, Yokas?"   
  
She looked up to see two concerned eyes staring at her.   
"Oh, yeah. Well, sort of. I sorta had an accident." She continued flexing her fingers, hoping it would help.   
  
"Accident? That bastard over there by the squad barreled into her with his motorcycle. The guy's lucky he didn't hurt her worse!" He was still fuming about it. Why people left the house and got onto a motorcycle or into a vehicle with things on their mind and didn't pay attention was beyond him.   
"Jerkwads."   
  
Sully had to laugh. Bosco was always one to fly off the handle. He had a good reason, to though. He thought he'd offer his help. He noticed Faith was limping and wondered if it was such a good idea to be going back to work.   
"Here, let me help you. You don't look so steady on your feet. I wouldn't want you to face plant on the sidewalk."   
  
"Oh, thanks, Sul. I didn't even realize I hurt my leg. I think that guy's tire sawed right through my leg. It feels like it's been through a chainsaw." She let the older officer support her as she painfully made her way to the bus that was standing by for possible injuries. Seeing Kim and Carlos there, she smiled. She'd rather have her friends there than anyone. She hated ambulances and emergency rooms. She'd seen far too many in her day.   
  
8:06 p.m.  
"Well, your leg's gonna' be hurtin' for a while. Nothin' like getting a layer or two shaved off of your skin. Your hand is going to need to be set, though. See that bone? It's not supposed to be there. I'll mobilize it but you need to take a ride with us over to Mercy." She winced, noticing how painful it must be for the other woman.   
"Since you don't have a head injury, we can give you some medication for the pain. They'll have to numb it up anyway to pop the bone in your hand back where it belongs, and trust me, you'll be thanking me afterwards for giving you something beforehand."   
  
"Thanks Carlos. Can you guys believe we get called to a robbery and a motorcycle hits me? What are the odds?" She laughed, feeling the medication starting to work. She looked out the door to see Bosco leading the way to the hospital. In ten minutes they arrived. She felt like a burden, making them drive her there for a broken hand. She had told them she could have Bosco take her but they were already there, and didn't mind. They were just helping out a friend.   
Kim and Carlos got faithed settled into the examining room and left to head back to the station until they got another call.   
  
"Here you are. I asked at the desk and they said they didn't remember seein' you come in." He had to park the squad and didn't see where Carlos and Kim had dropped Faith off.  
"Oh, they went in the bay doors. You know the ones for emergencies. Can you believe that?" She felt bad. She hoped no one was seriously injured and not getting treated because she took their place.   
"Oh, okay. Well triage is pretty dead this evening. The fun stuff doesn't start until around eleven, or so I've been told."   
They sat and waited for the doctor to come in. What seemed like hours later, he pranced in to see his patient.  
  
"What do we have here Officer...Yokas? Looks like a dislocated bone in your hand and one nasty scrape on your leg. Ouch." Seeing the officer nod painfully, he started to work.   
"I'll just give you an injection to numb your hand up. While that takes effect, I'll clean your leg and wrap it with some gauze. You'll have to restrict yourself to light duty. Especially with that hand of yours." He began unwrapping her leg and got out a pack of fresh gauze and bottle of saline solution. He dutifully wrapped her leg up tightly, but not tight enough to restrict blood flow. She'd have to be careful for a while in order for new skin to cover the wound. When he was done with her leg he started on her hand.   
"Alright, you won't feel any pain. It looks worse than it is. There are a lot of small bones in your hand. They're relatively easy to put back into place, if you know where they should end up in the first place", he said with a smile. He grabbed her hand and placed it palm down on his left palm that was facing up. With his right hand, he sandwiched her hand between his and pressed hard. Hearing a dull pop, he let go and examined his work. Works every time.   
  
9:15 p.m.   
"Eww..I still can't get that sound out of my head." He never understood how doctors did it. They just pop bones and stuff back into place like it's nothing. Gross. He was sickened by the sound still.   
  
"Yeah, well you try havin' that happen' to you and see how it sounds on the other end. I got to hear it snap out of place and back into place. I should feel so lucky." She was thankful for the pain meds, but had a feeling by the end of the shift she'd be in a world of hurt.   
  
They drove back to the station to do paperwork and call it an early night. There wasn't much Yokas could do in her condition. They still had to give statements about the robbery earlier and the accident, so they'd be there for a while anyway. Looks like she'd be home on time tonight after all.   
  
They pulled into the stall and got out of the car. Sully and Davis were already walking toward the building, probably to do paperwork as well.   
"Hey guys." Sully turned around to see Yokas and Bosco walking toward them.  
"Hey Bos, Faith. How's the hand?"   
  
"It's okay. I gotta' keep it elevated and stuff so the swelling stays down. It's gonna' be sore but they just said since the bone was dislocated and not broken, it wouldn't need a cast. So, in a few weeks I'll be off desk duty." She was thankful for that. She hated pushing paper. She didn't know how the sargeants did it. Cush jobs sounded so unappealing to her. She was glad she never took the sergeants exam again.   
  
"Looks like Bos will be doin' the paperwork tonight, huh? This I gotta' see." Ty laughed at the angry expression on his friend's face. The other man just realized he'd have to do all the writing, since Faith couldn't. The look on his face, it was priceless.   
  
"Yeah yeah, well it's not like we had a chance to do many calls. So, there won't be much. Eat that Davis." He walked into the precinct, holding the door for his partner. Looks like he'd be getting stuck with a rookie again. Isn't life grand?   
  
They finished up their paper work and headed down the steps of the precinct. It was a nice night and Faith wanted to walk home. Her hand was starting to bother her and she'd taken some pain medication the doctor had given her.   
"Night, Bos. Remember Fred's not back 'til Monday so I'm off this weekend with the kids."   
  
"10-4" he said, laughing. He watched her walk down the street and wondered if he should offer her a ride. Usually if she wanted one or needed one she hung out a bit and he usually caught onto the hint. Tonight she looked as if she wanted the fresh air. He didn't blame her. It was a beautiful night. If it weren't for the city lights, he could see the stars pretty clearly.   
10:45 p.m.  
"Mom, you're home!" The younger Yokas hugged his mom, noticing her bandaged hand.   
"What'd you do to your hand?"   
  
"Oh, I got hurt at work today. It's nothin', sweetie. It's not even broken." She hated it when her kids worried about her.   
"Where's your sister?"   
  
"She's rewinding the movies. We watched Big Fat Liar."   
  
"I thought you'd like it. Did your sister like the movie I got for her?" She laughed as her son rolled his eyes.  
  
"Mom, why'd you have to get that for? I don't like movies with kissing in them. She made me watch the whole thing!"  
  
She laughed as she ruffled her son's hair.  
"Sweetie, you know it's only fair to let her watch something she wants to watch. Did you two get along okay?" Seeing him nod, she walked into the living room with her son.  
"Hey Em, I heard you watched a movie with 'kissing.'" Was it an okay choice? The lady at the counter said it was a good movie.   
  
"Yeah, it was. Jessica said she saw it before and told me it was pretty good. I've wanted to see it but never got around to it. How's your hand? I heard Charlie ask you if you hurt it." She worried about her mom while she was at work. Things weren't good between them, and she wondered if she was going to get a call saying something had happened. She'd never forgive herself if something happened and she wasn't able to say she was sorry for all the things she put her mother through.   
  
"Oh, it's no-well, I sorta got hit by a motorcycle today." She hoped her honesty would reach her daughter, and she would see her willingness to try and be honest and open.   
"We were at a robbery and some guy didn't see Bosco and I settin' up a roadblock. I got out of the way mostly."   
  
Her daughter nodded her head and got up from the couch.   
"Well, it's getting late. I know it's not a school night, but I'm kinda tired. Night mom." She wanted to hug her mom, but it didn't seem right. Not with all they'd been through. They still had a gap between them and the reasons still needed to be worked out. She felt like it was getting a little better. Her mom was starting to be honest with her and she knew how much her mom loved her.   
"Say night to Charlie. I saw him go into the bathroom. I think he's getting ready for bed." Seeing her mom nod, she walked down the hall and into her room.   
  
Faith was alone in the living room. It had been a rather uneventful day, compared to some of the ones they'd had. She picked up the movies and put them into their cases so she'd remember to return them the following day.   
She saw Charlie emerge from the bathroom with his pajamas on and his hands behind his back. She raised her eyebrows, curious as to what her son was up to.   
  
"Hey baby, what do you have there?" She wondered if it had anything to do with the money he took from her purse. She scooted over so he could sit down next to her on the couch. As he took a seat, he showed her what was in his hand.   
  
He opened his hands and placed two tickets into her palm. He didn't want to take his mom's money but he had most of it and just needed a little more for the tickets. He hoped she wouldn't mind. Seeing her eyes well up with tears, he hugged her.  
  
"Honey, what is this for? You didn't have to do this." She hugged her son back and pulled away to hear his response.  
  
"Mom, I don't want you to fight anymore. I don't want you and Em to argue all the time. I want things to be like they used to be. So, I thought you guys could go to a movie and have one of your girl things. Dad and I can hang out at the house and do our man stuff."   
  
"Sweetie, Em and I are having some problems. I know it's hard on everyone, but we're working them out. Give us time. How'd I get so lucky to have good kids like you? Thank you, Char." She kissed him on his forehead.  
"Time for bed, mister. Don't stay up too late reading those comics, alright? She watched him get up and leave for bed.   
  
She didn't know how long she'd sat there on the couch. She kept thinking about her relationship with her kids and how much they meant to her. She'd find a way to try and connect with Emily again, and she'd find a way to trust. She had to. She turned off the television screen and went to get ready for bed. As she walked past her kids' rooms, she prayed that some day when they had kids of their own and they reflected on their childhood, they had fond memories. She wondered what they thought about when they went to sleep. If they regretted the family they were stuck with. Most of all, she wondered if, years from then when they looked back on their lives, if the only things they recalled were how badly they'd had it. She hoped not. Closing her eyes, she gave herself into the arms of sleep. 


End file.
